This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Hockey series.
After a couple seasons of this being the case, many hockey fans are used to Wednesday being the light day in the NHL week. It's the day for showcasing games on TNT. Thus, this Wednesday we have three games on the slate, and be prepared for Wednesdays being days where your options for your DFS lineups are slimmer. However, I still have my recommendations for you.
GOALIE
Ilya Sorokin, NYI vs. NYR ($35): This was a little tricky. The worst offense in action Wednesday? That would be the Ducks, but they are hosting a Lightning team on the second leg of a back-to-back and will presumably be getting Brian Elliott instead of Andrei Vasilevskiy. Sorokin's last start went poorly, but his first three were really good. In his career he has a .923 save percentage, so I'm not sweating it. Meanwhile, like the Lightning the Rangers are on the road for the second game of a back-to-back, even if they are in their home city.
GOALIE TO AVOID
Jordan Binnington, STL vs. EDM ($28): Binnington has been excellent to start the season, including shutting out these very Oilers. Is he back to his rookie form? Can we forget about his .901 save percentage last season? I'm pumping the brakes. Let's see him handle a team that has averaged 3.49 goals and 34.0 shots on net per game since the start of last year a second time.
CENTER
Robert Thomas, STL vs. EDM ($19): Yes, I am worried that Thomas has been allergic to shooting so far. However, he has four assists in three games. He is definitively a playmaker first, and even if he doesn't score 20 goals again, he had 57 assists in 72 games last year. Jack Campbell could not sustain his hot start last season, and his move to Edmonton has been tough. The Michigan-born goalie has a 3.61 GAA and .895 save percentage through five appearances.
CENTER TO AVOID
Vincent Trocheck, NYR at NYI ($21): The Rangers are the only team where I feel strongly that avoiding their players makes sense Wednesday. Tampa is on a back-to-back, but I do not fear Anaheim. Sorokin, though, is a guy with a .923 save percentage in his career. Mika Zibanejad has racked up so many points I may not avoid him, but New York's new second-line center isn't quite on his level.
WING
Mason McTavish, ANA vs. TAM ($14): As a rebuilding team, the Ducks are throwing McTavish right into the mix. The third-overall pick from 2021 is on the second line and top power-play unit, and he has four assists and 11 shots on goal in six games. Elliott may be making a third appearance quite early in the year, as the Lightning are getting hit hard with back-to-backs. Over the last seven seasons, Elliott has a .905 save percentage.
Vladislav Namestnikov, TAM at ANA ($10): Back where he started his career, Namestnikov is on Steven Stamkos' wing and the top power-play unit. Though the Lightning are on the second leg of a back-to-back, Anaheim's continued reliance on John Gibson in net (to be fair, backup Anthony Stolarz is surprisingly only one year younger and thus not a "youth movement" option) bodes well for the Russian. Over the last four seasons, Gibson has a 3.12 GAA and .903 save percentage.
WINGS TO AVOID
Chris Kreider, NYR at NYI ($27): Kreider scored 52 goals last year, but with a 20.2 shooting percentage that was not sustainable. He has two goals in seven games, but they came in the same outing. The Rangers are on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back, and Sorokin has a .923 save percentage in his career as I've noted.
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, EDM at STL ($21): Perhaps Binnington's hot start to the season is legitimate, to some degree. He has an 1.65 GAA and .940 save percentage through three outings. The Blues also have the fourth-ranked penalty kill since the start of last year. Nugent-Hopkins has an 18.8 shooting percentage, well above his career 11.5 number, and three of his seven points have come with the extra man.
DEFENSE
Noah Dobson, NYI vs. NYR ($18): Dobson broke through last season with 13 goals on 190 shots on net and 38 assists. This year he has five points through six games and has put 16 shots on goal as well. Since the Rangers are on the second leg of a back-to-back, Jaroslav Halak will likely be in net. The 37-year-old has a .901 save percentage over the last three weeks.
Cam Fowler, ANA vs. TAM ($15): Fowler only has one point this season, but the Ducks have been on a five-game road trip, which is a hard way to begin a campaign. The veteran has averaged 25:19 in ice time, though, and 2:13 with the extra man. Fowler can get a chance to settle in Wednesday, and he'll likely be facing Elliott behind a team on the road for the second leg of a back-to-back.
DEFENSE TO AVOID
Adam Fox, NYR at NYI ($25): Fox's lofty salary is often justified, but I am not so sure this time around. He's on a back-to-back, and Sorokin has been a top-notch goalie since he joined the NHL. Plus, Fox has been quite reliant on the power play for points in his career, and since the start of last season the Islanders have the third-ranked penalty kill.
Tyson Barrie, EDM at STL ($17): It's business as usual for Barrie, a power-play specialist. All three of his points this season have come with the extra man. As I noted, though, since the start of last season the Blues have the fourth-ranked penalty kill.
